Texting with Gabe would make me feel so much better right now…
I stared at my phone for a good fifteen seconds before sighing and setting it aside. While Iwasangry at Zig for dismissing my competency, I needed to resolve things directly with him instead of contacting my Earth-bound “boyfriend” for a sweet hit of schmoopy dopamine.
I guess I’ll be an adult about it.
Hmph.
With another sigh, I headed back to the weapons room for the final load. The space was about the size of a freight elevator, which seemed cozy enough for a nursery, the walls lined with what were obviously custom gun racks.
Too bad.
Zig was just going to have to find somewhere else for his excessive, and slightly unnecessary, weapons collection.
He has built-in samurai tendrils, for chrissakes!
Stupid, sexy, razor-sharp tendrils…
I started angrily trudging toward the kitchen again, only for the outdoor motion alarm to suddenly go off. Of course, the security app was on my phone in the opposite direction of the cockpit, so I unceremoniously dumped my latest armful of guns onto the gangway floor and chose to investigate at the source.
It’s probably just Ziggy returning from hissolomission.
Good.
Perfect timing to go sleep in the weapons room.
Once in the cockpit, I peered through the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever set off the alarm. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see past the swaying palm fronds surrounding us, since Zig insisted on landing the Lodger in the middle of the goddamn jungle for added camouflage on top of the cloaking device.
Well, the camo is working both ways right now.
I slumped into the captain’s chair, displaying my best pout while awaiting his inevitable star hop.
Only for Ziggy not to appear.
That’s… weird.
I leaned forward and turned on the night vision scope, frowning when all that accomplished was providing an unobstructed view of thetopof the jungle canopy.
Next time,I’llpark the spaceship.
The motion alarm wailed again, and my indignation started to fade.
What if Ziggy’s too injured to star hop?
I actually didn’t know if a Stellariancouldbe injured enough to inhibit star hopping, but once the thought planted itself in my head, the roots of anxiety began to grow. It didn’t take long for me to envision the love of my life crawling toward the ship, bleeding out while I wasted precious seconds being big mad over getting left behind.
I need to rescue him!!!
Before my brain could catch up to my actions, I was in the landing bay and entering the secret code—rudely,notmy birthday—to deploy the ramp.
Wait.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Realizing I’d almost done something incredibly stupid, I activated my shields, covering myself in a transparent, protective layer of my own invention that not even a Stellarian could get through.
ThenI deployed the ramp.
Only to find Ziggy waiting for me at the bottom.
